This is a plant-rich winter version of a classic Caesar salad, made using a variety of nutritious bitter leaves in place of the rather dull iceberg lettuce. Seaweed and salty capers give it a hint of the sea, as an alternative to anchovies, and grated walnuts replace the Parmesan.
Leafy winter greens (whites, reds, pinks and purples) keep us going through the coldest months of the year with nutritious, colourful and flavourful ingredients that can withstand seriously cold temperatures, making them a good source of local nutrition, including vitamins A and C and minerals iron, potassium and calcium. Market gardens and specialist farmers are growing more and more varieties from old heritage species to new colourful hybrids, including variegated purple and green kale, magenta-coloured fingers of tardivo and radicchio del Veneto, a frilly chicory dressed in pastel-pink.
This recipe was created by Eco-Chef Tom Hunt features in his new cookbook Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet. For more ideas on which vegetables are at their best in winter, and how to cook them, see Tom Hunt's feature on How to make the most from British winter veg. For more meat-free recipe inspiration, head to our Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes page, which includes Tom's recipe for Beet Bourguignon.
